Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”
But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”
- Joshua 24:19-21
And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
- Matthew 13:58
“Do you have even the slightest reliance on anything or anyone other than God? Is there a remnant of reliance left on any natural quality within you, or on any particular set of circumstances? Are you relying on yourself in any manner whatsoever regarding this new proposal or plan which God has placed before you? Will you examine yourself by asking these probing questions? It really is true to say, ‘I cannot live a holy life,’ but you can decide to let Jesus Christ make you holy. ‘You cannot serve the Lord…’— but you can place yourself in the proper position where God’s almighty power will flow through you. Is your relationship with God sufficient for you to expect Him to exhibit His wonderful life in you?
“ ‘The people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord!” ’ (Joshua 24:21). This is not an impulsive action, but a deliberate commitment. We tend to say, ‘But God could never have called me to this. I’m too unworthy. It can’t mean me.’ It does mean you, and the more weak and feeble you are, the better. The person who is still relying and trusting in anything within himself is the last person to even come close to saying, ‘I will serve the Lord.’
“We say, ‘Oh, if only I really could believe!’ The question is, ‘Will I believe?’ No wonder Jesus Christ placed such emphasis on the sin of unbelief. ‘He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief’ (Matthew 13:58). If we really believed that God meant what He said, just imagine what we would be like! Do I really dare to let God be to me all that He says He will be?
- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
Rev. Chambers starts with some very biting questions. Too many of us rely on our government, our friends, our family, or the cash we have in the bank.
It is not a situation of worshipping those things. It is a situation of relying upon those things when our sole reliance should be on Jesus Christ.
I think Rev. Chambers’ discussion on how we are not worthy is important to understand. He may have been preparing missionaries to spread the Gospel, but each of us should be prepared for that. Yet, we think some of the tough things to do in the Bible are reserved for the pastors, missionaries, or evangelists. “I am unworthy to live up to the standard, so I will settle on just enough faith to get me inside the gates of Heaven.” I have heard that from countless people. They settle for less than what God is offering.
As Rev. Chambers asks, it is not could we believe or can we believe, but Will We Believe?
Am I worthy for this? I had a pastor and my Sunday school teacher, at the time, who questioned that I could be a successful blogger. There may be bloggers that I have inspired with the single thought, “If he could make this work, anybody could do it!” The key is that to do it, you have to be willing to listen to that small Voice.
God has a wonderful plan for your life. Will you believe?
Soli Deo Gloria. Only to God be the Glory.
Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley 
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